Northern Ireland Civic Forum

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the Northern Ireland Civic Forum cost in the financial year 2003–04; under what headings the cost was broken down; and with what authorisation; and
	Whether Northern Ireland Civic Forum staff have been reallocated to other departments since October 2002; if so, whether their salaries and expenses are scored against the new department; and how was such expenditure approved and by whom.

Baroness Amos: In the financial year 2003–04 costs incurred in relation to the Northern Ireland Civic Forum amounted to some £128,000. This may be broadly broken down in terms of maintaining accommodation to allow for the swift restoration of devolution (approx £88,000), salary costs for redeployed staff (approx £37,000) and sundry costs (approx £3,000) in respect of maintenance of equipment contracts, professional fees etc.
	The redeployment of Civic Forum staff was anticipated to be a short term step with staff returning to Civic Forum duties immediately upon restoration. Budgetary provision for these staff was therefore retained within the Civic Forum salary allocation.
	This arrangement was not satisfactory in bookkeeping terms for a protracted period of suspension and has now been resolved. No salaries will be charged against any Civic Forum allocation for the year 2004–05.
	All expenditure incurred on behalf of the Civic Forum since October 2002 was authorised by officials operating within normal departmental accounting practices.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much has been spent by Waterways Ireland in each year since 2000 on capital and maintenance works on (a) the Union; (b) the Royal; and (c) the Grand Canals.

Baroness Amos: The capital and maintenance expenditure for the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal for each year since 2000 is as follows:
	
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
			  € € € € € 
			 Royal  
			 Capital 1,133,916 2,396,265 2,477,955 982,372 431,422 
			 Maintenance 1,561,909 1,675,239 3,086,122 2,384,152 1,724,175  
			 Grand 
			 Capital 698,734 1,159,298 618,125 919,537 480,868 
			 Maintenance 1,075,375 1,428,247 3,454,322 3,708,288 2,472,698 
		
	
	The accounts for 2003 are still under audit review and therefore the above figures should be regarded as provisional.
	The figures for 2004 are the management accounts figures to end August 2004 only.
	Waterways Ireland does not have a Union Canal under its remit.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government: In each year since 2000 what groups and individuals Waterways Ireland consulted about their business and corporate plans. [HL4174]

Baroness Amos: Waterways Ireland has developed two corporate plans and three business plans over the past three years—a combined corporate and business plan for 2002–04; a corporate plan for 2005–07; and business plans for 2003, 2004 and 2005.
	During development of the corporate plan 2005–07, Waterways Ireland used the services of a facilitator to help with preparation of the plan. Internal consultation was undertaken, involving a corporate planning day with senior managers and circulation of the draft plan to staff for comment.
	There has been consultation with senior managers on the business plans and with the body's sponsor departments and the Departments of Finance north and south on both the corporate and business plans.
	Waterways Ireland has ongoing dialogue with its stakeholders which informs the business and corporate planning process.
	Waterways Ireland also consulted a wide range of user groups and individuals on its marketing and promotion strategy, aspects of which are contained in the current business and corporate plans. Consultees are listed in the Waterways Ireland marketing and promotion strategy document and a copy is available in the Library of the House.

Northern Ireland: Planning Applications

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7 July (WA 85), whether Armagh City Council was consulted at its council meeting in August about planning application number 0/2004/0239/F for conversion of a flat at 1 Barrack Hill, Armagh City; why there is a delay in this decision notice; and when the decision can be expected.

Baroness Amos: Armagh City Council was not consulted at its meeting in August. There has been a slight delay in processing this application due to an unprecedented increase in planning applications received by the Craigavon planning office. However, it is anticipated that the council will be consulted at the next council meeting on 4 October 2004, and the decision notice will issue thereafter.

Ulster Political Research Group

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7 September (WA 106), whether the attendance of the Joint Secretary to the North/South Ministerial Council was considered appropriate by his employing department; if so, by which department, and when; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7 September (WA 106), concerning meetings with the Ulster Political Research Group, which government officials attended such meetings; on what dates; and with whose prior authorisation; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7 September (WA 106) concerning meetings between the North/South Ministerial Council and the Ulster Political Research Group, whether the meetings were organised with the advance approval of the appropriate sections of the Northern Ireland Civil Service; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7 September (WA 106) concerning meetings with the Ulster Political Research Group, what meetings were held with that group which included both joint secretaries of the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat although not attending in that capacity; when and where those meetings were held; and for what purpose.

Baroness Amos: I have nothing to add to the Answers given on 12 July (WA 199), 22 July (WA 69) and 7 September (WA 106).

Ulster-Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7 September (WA 98) concerning the Ulster-Scots Agency's work in the United States and the visit by the agency and the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to Washington in 2001, whether the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure indicated, at that stage, disapproval of the visit.

Baroness Amos: I refer the noble Lord to my Answers on 22 June 2004 (WA 114) and 7 September 2004 (WA 98). I have nothing further to add.

Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 7 September (WA 104), in what circumstances the grant of £250,000 to the Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders can be withdrawn.

Baroness Amos: The Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders continues to be one of the key service providers for the criminal justice system and the grant is viewed as a strategic and long-term investment in securing and supporting this important working relationship. It is not anticipated that any circumstances will arise that would require the Northern Ireland Office to consider withdrawing this funding.

Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure: Funding

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the allocation of funding for the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure for 2003–04; how much was spent; and, if there is a difference, what is the reason for such a difference.

Baroness Amos: The budget allocation for 2003–04 was £101,256,000. Expenditure incurred during the year was £96,937,000 leaving an underspend of 4.0 per cent or £4,319,000. The major variances were in respect of:
	Slippage in central administration due to lower than anticipated costs; slippage on arts projects and library capital projects; delays on executive programme funds projects including soccer strategy, salmon compensation, electronic libraries for Northern Ireland (ELFNI) and electronic catalogues for Northern Ireland (eCATNI); slippage on European Union Programme for Peace and Reconciliation caused by difficulties in obtaining necessary approvals for several large projects; notional costs lower than anticipated and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland additional receipts arising from improved sales.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 14 September (WA 178), which bodies nominated how many individuals for membership of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Baroness Amos: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Mr Spellar) wrote to the leaders of all Northern Ireland political parties; the Northern Ireland spokesman for the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Parties; the chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee; and the Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) on 14 June 2004 inviting them to nominate people to be considered for appointment to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Committee. His letter pointed out that any nominee would be required to undergo the same application process as all other candidates.
	The advertisement also invited bodies to nominate individuals.
	The Government did not receive any nominations.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 14 September (WA 178), whether they will provide a summary curriculum vitae of Mr John Keanie, pointing out his human rights experience and expertise.

Baroness Amos: John Keanie is an OCPA-accredited independent assessor whose job is to ensure that the entire appointments process adheres to the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments' (OCPA) code of practice. His expertise is in public appointments.
	OCPA guidance states that "independent scrutiny underwrites the integrity of the whole appointments process". Furthermore, it defines the role of the independent assessor as "an expert in the appointments process and need not have a specialist knowledge in the subject matter dealt with by the body on which there is a vacancy".
	An independent human rights expert, Mr Chris Sidoti (Director of International Service of Human Rights, a NGO based in Geneva) will be on the interview panel for both the chief commissioner and commissioner posts.

House of Lords: Computer Office

Lord Williams of Elvel: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Who is responsible for the House of Lords Computer Office; and what is the line of responsibility.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The Computer Officer has day-to-day responsibility for the House of Lords Computer Office. He reports to the Reading Clerk, as the Management Board member responsible for Information Services, who in turn reports to the Clerk of the Parliaments. The strategic direction of the Computer Office is guided at official level by the Information Technology Steering Group with input from the Information Committee. The overall budget for the office is approved by the House Committee.

Immigration Service: Detention of Children

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many asylum-seeking children have been detained by the United Kingdom's Immigration Service during the past six months.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Information on the total number of children detained by the United Kingdom's Immigration Service during the past six months is not available. It would only be available by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
	As at 26 June 2004, 60 people who were detained solely under Immigration Act powers were recorded as being under 18 years old.

Europe

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With reference to the Home Office statement on 1 October that "full immigration controls on Eurostar trains will move from London to Europe", whether they no longer consider that the United Kingdom is part of Europe.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The reference to "Europe" in the Home Office press release was intended to mean "mainland Europe".

Northern Ireland: Army Deployment

Lord Eames: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To what extent the recently announced changes to the structures of the Armed Forces will affect the deployment of Army, Navy and Air Force units in Northern Ireland.

Lord Bach: Military force levels in Northern Ireland are dependent on the prevailing security environment. As the environment improves we expect the requirement for forces assigned to support the police to decline. Accordingly, in the past six months we have been able to transfer four battalions from the command of the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland to Commander in Chief LAND.

Iraq: Khamisiyah

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 25 March (WA 112), when the Ministry of Defence now expects to deposit in the Library of the House all letters pursuant to Parliamentary Questions on the destruction in 1991 of Iraqi chemical weapons stored at Khamisiyah in southern Iraq.

Lord Bach: Answers to the Questions posed by the Countess of Mar were provided in two papers published in December 1999 entitled British Chemical Warfare Defence During the Gulf Conflict 1990–91 and Review of Events Concerning 32 Field Hospital and the Release of Nerve Agent Arising from US Demolition of Iraqi Munitions at the Khamisiyah Depot in March 1991. Copies of these papers were placed in the Library of both Houses. Both papers can also be accessed via the MoD's website www.mod.uk/index.shtml.
	Copies of these papers were also intended to be sent to the Countess of Mar and to the noble Lord among others. I regret that we can find no trace of these letters being sent although drafts were prepared. My honourable friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) will write to the Countess of Mar with copies of the original drafts and arrange for these to be placed in the Library of the House.

Gulf War Veterans

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any review of Dr Tony Hall's work for the Medical Assessment Programme of the Ministry of Defence has been undertaken by the department, or is now being considered, subsequent to his widely publicised comments of 10 August on the health of service personnel and the integrity of Gulf War veterans.

Lord Bach: No review is planned but all patient records are routinely reviewed in great detail. Dr Hall was employed at the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (GVMAP) in July 1997 but went on extended leave in December 1997. His employment was finally terminated in July 1998. Approximately three and a half thousand patients have been seen by GVMAP physicians since it was established in July 1993 and Dr Hall saw only a minority of these while at the GVMAP.
	The Government are not responsible for Lord Lloyd's unofficial investigation and we have no control over who attends or wishes to submit evidence. The views expressed by Dr Hall on the causes of Gulf veterans' ill health at Lord Lloyd's unofficial investigation into Gulf veterans' illnesses on 10 August are not the views of the Government.

Gulf War Veterans

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Dr Tony Hall and other employees or ex-employees of the Ministry of Defence were informed of the Ministry of Defence's policy, stated by Ministers, that it is incumbent on all those who are close to health issues and have some knowledge of them to consider very carefully the language they use when making comments that could cause unnecessary anxiety among service personnel, veterans, and their families and friends, possibly threatening their well-being; if so, by whom and when they were so informed.

Lord Bach: The Government are not responsible for Lord Lloyd's unofficial investigation and we have no control over who attends or wishes to submit evidence. Dr Hall has not been employed by the Ministry of Defence since July 1998 and the views he expressed on 10 August are not the views of the Government.
	We expect and receive the highest standard of professional conduct from health professionals and other employees when dealing with service personnel, veterans and family members. This includes adherence to relevant standards required by external professional bodies.

Nimrod Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Royal Air Force is satisfied with the result of the maiden flight of the upgraded Nimrod Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft; and whether the further stages of the project will proceed without delays.

Lord Bach: The flight test crew reported that the maiden flight of the Nimrod MRA4 was successfully completed to expectation without incident. While this flight was a significant milestone there is still an extensive trials programme to complete during the rest of the design and development stage. Commitment to production is dependent on acceptable design maturity and agreement of an acceptable price.

People Trafficking: Safe Houses for Children

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they approved the closing of a safe house for trafficked children, run by Integrated Care Limited, after less than three months; whether the trial period was sufficient; and what is their future policy on this matter.

Lord Filkin: I am aware that an independent safe house, run by Integrated Care Ltd, opened in April 2004 in Sussex and closed in early June. Central Government were not included in this project but I understand that the resource was open to referrals from local authorities throughout the UK but that an insufficient number of referrals were made, therefore the decision was taken to close it.
	It is for local authorities to decide how best to provide support and services for children in need in their area, including those who are the victims of trafficking. When a child enters the country alone and claims asylum or there are concerns that he or she may have been trafficked, the Immigration Service should immediately refer the child to the relevant local authority's social services department. The social services department will undertake a needs assessment and will provide services in the light of the outcome of that assessment. These services should be tailored to the individual needs of the child, just as they should be for any child in need.

Motorway Restaurants

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 14 September (WA 185), what mechanism exists to ensure that members of the travelling public receive proper and sufficient catering services from operators of motorway restaurants.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The provision and extent of catering services at motorway service areas are a matter for individual operators, who are likely to want to take appropriate action to meet the needs of their customers.

Speed Limits

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What conclusions about the link between speed and motor accident severity can be drawn from research commissioned by the Department for Transport; on what research basis the proposal to introduce a system of graduated fixed penalties for speeding offences was made; and what analysis has been made of the potential changes in casualties that will occur if speeding penalties are altered in 30 miles per hour areas.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Research evidence suggests that lower speeds result in fewer collisions of lesser severity, and that excessive speed exacerbates the severity of accidents (TRL Project Report 58 (1994) and TRL Report 421 (2000), and international research such as Transportation Research Board, Washington, Special Report 254 (1998)). The Government are seeking to introduce flexibility into the fixed penalty system for speeding offences to address this link by ensuring that the more extreme the speed, the greater the penalty that applies. Our aim is to address the risks that arise from inappropriate speeds wherever they occur—in 30 mph limits and elsewhere. We are consulting on this general principle now so as to inform our policy approach.